- Location
- Denmark
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Itinerant: A Pilgrim Quest
Gargulec
impact!
- Location
- a garden
I assume you cleaned it as much as you could, but with all the slaughter going on, and the fact that you wouldn't even have the time to dry it properly, it did not get you far on cleanliness front.
Oh come on what did I do to you which would justify the paranoia! You don't even have all the facts that should make you REALLY afraid!
- Location
- St. Petersburg
We should have soaked it in blood of our enemies, and pretended it was always that color. The ways of the Rosemary Island and indiscriminate mass slaughter have clearly proven themselves superior to the so called 'civility' of Liefs.
By the way, is there a chance for us to improve with the spear? Carrying a big and heavy stick with us is not at all practical - we should at least try and learn how to hit things with it. I'd be all up for mutilating some trees.
Does it look like staff when covered?
By the way, is there a chance for us to improve with the spear? Carrying a big and heavy stick with us is not at all practical - we should at least try and learn how to hit things with it. I'd be all up for mutilating some trees.
Does it look like staff when covered?
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Gargulec
impact!
- Location
- a garden
It's not going to help you much when it comes to actual fighting ability, but it will make you better used to its weight and length, and may be just good for you as physical exercise (which not a concept you would normally consider, but side benefits and all that).
A staff with a bag tied around it. A bit suspicious, but not very much so.
- Location
- ?
It's covering a knob
Gargulec
impact!
- Location
- a garden
It's covering a knob
Something something psychoanalysis something something penis envy.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
We'd be able to beat another Reik with it if it came down to it.
Wouldn't expect to win any jousting tournaments any time soon, but I would think it might be possible for us to scare off a rabid dog or something. The end is still sharp, pointy and deadly. If we can make it go where we want it to, a single strike is all it takes.
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Gargulec
impact!
- Location
- a garden
Just stick them with the point end, eh?
4.1 By Night, By Fire
Gargulec
impact!
- Location
- a garden
Not following the voices won! Now you will never learn if they wanted to kill you or feed you. Or perhaps one and then another? What if it was a witch who wanted to fat you like a calf before eating you whole? That would be very terrible. Anyway. Now that the Big Drama is over, time for a small decrease in pace. And all that. Enjoy!
Mindful of the stories you had heart in the city of Grace, you elected to avoid the voices; it would not do to become a victim of wicked men so soon after miraculously escaping the clutches of king's man Notker. Therefore, you did not approach them, and presently, they grew more distant and then silenced entirely, and you were confident again that you were walking alone. It was a strange thought, that solitude could be preferable over company, and it troubled you that times were now such that a man alone in bog may quiver at the voice of another, instead of meeting it earnestly. But perhaps such was the decline of the world and of its good mores that it should not be surprising, and that nigh were the times of sword and axe, which had been long spoken about by elder men considering the fate of the world.
With such thoughts, you continued along the path, hoping that it would lead you to some desirous place. It quickly became evident to you that the reputation of the bogs claiming them to be very difficult and arduous to traverse was not exaggerated in the slightest, and even with the route to follow, the ground beneath your feet was mushy and damp, soaking your boots. Furthermore, the swamp was also full of brambles of various sorts, which cut at you savagely, and tore at your dress, which already stained from the toils of the road came to look like a rag that a mad-man would cover himself with, or which a beggar would take and display to others, as a proof of his misfortune. As if it was not enough, you also found that a woman's dress was rather restrictive, that is that it made your steps less secure, and in one particular instant, where it made you trip and fall, and almost roll into a pool of brackish water, you cursed that you were not born a different sex, free of such restrictions.
However, by the providence of the Saints, the path did lead you to a place where the soil was firmer and dry, and where trees were also more sparse, and foliage in general rather light. After some investigation, you also uncovered – half buried that they were – old ditches once dug in the earth to drain it, and you realized that the firmness of the soil must come from the fact that it once used to be a field which farmers tended to; and only by some great misfortune, it was abandoned, and by the woods reclaimed. Such an image – of the trees conquering what was once won from them by fire and hatched – seemed to you to fit well your earlier ruminations about the passing nature of the world, and the decline of man (which, as you had once heard from Ethal, was made most evident by such two things: that where fortresses once stood, now wolves roam, and that the imperial purple is not worn anymore, for even the king of Liefs is not considered to be deserving of it; the distinction between an emperor and a king seemed to you a very unclear one, but the priest had maintained it to be rather vital). Yet, you could not spend too much time ruminating on such matters, for there were other necessities to which you had to attend; that is to make a sort of a camp for the night. That, you managed through setting a fire (after much effort), which pleasantly warmed you. You made an attempt to dry some of your clothes by it (as most of them were thoroughly damp), although that did not carry you far.
Then, you also ate, and considered the supplies which you had. They were, alas, not many. You filled your pack to the brim at the barge, but the Book of Roots occupied the most of it, so you could only fit in some dry bread, cheese and a skin of wine, which could carry you no more than a day or two longer. Afterwards, you could perhaps try sustaining yourself off the woods and bogs, but you had very little experience in such matters, and therefore it could be rather dangerous, not to mention that the success of such an approach was by no means guaranteed.
Otherwise, you would have to find other men; and that should not be impossible, for the bogs were inhabited, although the ruin you had witnessed, and the fields overgrown with trees, worried you somewhat, for they were clear indications that some calamity had happened here. Yet, the burned out homes had long since gone cold, and the trees around you were clearly of some years; whatever was the cause for this desolation, it had long since vanished off the land.
You thought about brigands, bandits, witches and other dangers which you could face, and grasped at Cu's spear, once again marveling at the workmanship of it (although it is not the proper time to describe it at lengths). It was slightly longer than other such weapons you had seen, and you had some difficulty holding it one hand. Still, you made some attempts, and even chose a particularly gnarly tree, which grew nearby, and imagining it to be Notker, you thrust at it savagely, until you became short of breath. Yet, you had little doubt that the spear would not protect you against armed men (although you did consider that perhaps you could grew accustomed to the feel of it in your hand, and that thought, however strange, was also not entirely unwelcome).
The decision you had to make was on how to proceed; whether to seek other men or not, and if so, then how to go about doing that; that is whether to advance carefully, and make sure that you are not spotted before others see you, or to brazenly and boldly go through the bog, with a song on your lips, to increase the chance of finding others.
Considering that, you wrapped yourself in the fur cloak and went to sleep, to by morning decide that...
[ ] You will avoid human contact for now.
[ ] You will attempt to carefully find others.
[ ] You will attempt to brazenly find others.
4.1 By Night, By Fire
Mindful of the stories you had heart in the city of Grace, you elected to avoid the voices; it would not do to become a victim of wicked men so soon after miraculously escaping the clutches of king's man Notker. Therefore, you did not approach them, and presently, they grew more distant and then silenced entirely, and you were confident again that you were walking alone. It was a strange thought, that solitude could be preferable over company, and it troubled you that times were now such that a man alone in bog may quiver at the voice of another, instead of meeting it earnestly. But perhaps such was the decline of the world and of its good mores that it should not be surprising, and that nigh were the times of sword and axe, which had been long spoken about by elder men considering the fate of the world.
With such thoughts, you continued along the path, hoping that it would lead you to some desirous place. It quickly became evident to you that the reputation of the bogs claiming them to be very difficult and arduous to traverse was not exaggerated in the slightest, and even with the route to follow, the ground beneath your feet was mushy and damp, soaking your boots. Furthermore, the swamp was also full of brambles of various sorts, which cut at you savagely, and tore at your dress, which already stained from the toils of the road came to look like a rag that a mad-man would cover himself with, or which a beggar would take and display to others, as a proof of his misfortune. As if it was not enough, you also found that a woman's dress was rather restrictive, that is that it made your steps less secure, and in one particular instant, where it made you trip and fall, and almost roll into a pool of brackish water, you cursed that you were not born a different sex, free of such restrictions.
However, by the providence of the Saints, the path did lead you to a place where the soil was firmer and dry, and where trees were also more sparse, and foliage in general rather light. After some investigation, you also uncovered – half buried that they were – old ditches once dug in the earth to drain it, and you realized that the firmness of the soil must come from the fact that it once used to be a field which farmers tended to; and only by some great misfortune, it was abandoned, and by the woods reclaimed. Such an image – of the trees conquering what was once won from them by fire and hatched – seemed to you to fit well your earlier ruminations about the passing nature of the world, and the decline of man (which, as you had once heard from Ethal, was made most evident by such two things: that where fortresses once stood, now wolves roam, and that the imperial purple is not worn anymore, for even the king of Liefs is not considered to be deserving of it; the distinction between an emperor and a king seemed to you a very unclear one, but the priest had maintained it to be rather vital). Yet, you could not spend too much time ruminating on such matters, for there were other necessities to which you had to attend; that is to make a sort of a camp for the night. That, you managed through setting a fire (after much effort), which pleasantly warmed you. You made an attempt to dry some of your clothes by it (as most of them were thoroughly damp), although that did not carry you far.
Then, you also ate, and considered the supplies which you had. They were, alas, not many. You filled your pack to the brim at the barge, but the Book of Roots occupied the most of it, so you could only fit in some dry bread, cheese and a skin of wine, which could carry you no more than a day or two longer. Afterwards, you could perhaps try sustaining yourself off the woods and bogs, but you had very little experience in such matters, and therefore it could be rather dangerous, not to mention that the success of such an approach was by no means guaranteed.
Otherwise, you would have to find other men; and that should not be impossible, for the bogs were inhabited, although the ruin you had witnessed, and the fields overgrown with trees, worried you somewhat, for they were clear indications that some calamity had happened here. Yet, the burned out homes had long since gone cold, and the trees around you were clearly of some years; whatever was the cause for this desolation, it had long since vanished off the land.
You thought about brigands, bandits, witches and other dangers which you could face, and grasped at Cu's spear, once again marveling at the workmanship of it (although it is not the proper time to describe it at lengths). It was slightly longer than other such weapons you had seen, and you had some difficulty holding it one hand. Still, you made some attempts, and even chose a particularly gnarly tree, which grew nearby, and imagining it to be Notker, you thrust at it savagely, until you became short of breath. Yet, you had little doubt that the spear would not protect you against armed men (although you did consider that perhaps you could grew accustomed to the feel of it in your hand, and that thought, however strange, was also not entirely unwelcome).
The decision you had to make was on how to proceed; whether to seek other men or not, and if so, then how to go about doing that; that is whether to advance carefully, and make sure that you are not spotted before others see you, or to brazenly and boldly go through the bog, with a song on your lips, to increase the chance of finding others.
Considering that, you wrapped yourself in the fur cloak and went to sleep, to by morning decide that...
[ ] You will avoid human contact for now.
[ ] You will attempt to carefully find others.
[ ] You will attempt to brazenly find others.
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- Location
- Who Knows
I think we need people tbh...
[X] You will attempt to carefully find others.
[X] You will attempt to carefully find others.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
I would not trust a medieval book with that. Half of the time they are talking out of their, uh, spines. See panther Jesus for reference.
We should read it, but not have is as our sole survival guide. The locals would be better at that. Hopefully, we will be able to find someone who is at the very least not hostile.
[X] You will attempt to carefully find others.
[X] Read about the Bogs.
4.2 Wading Through Deep Water
Gargulec
impact!
- Location
- a garden
Today's update is late. What can I say? I got carried away celebrating the fact that I finally have the time to do the update early. Such is the irony of fate (let's call it that). Anyway. Carefulness won. Solitude is not preferable! And very good that it is not, for attempting to survive the swamp alone would probably lead to some Very Interesting Events. Anyway! (I like this word, I do). The update is here.
Such is the proverb among the Lief people: a man alone is a man that is gone; you heeded its wisdom and made the decision to seek others, and you put a prayer to the Saints so that they would deliver you from the wicked and the treacherous, but also that if it such was their design to put you through further ordeals of men's evilness, you would not protest, but rather, confident in their grace, persevere. And along the prayers to Saint Odo, who was the patron of your pilgrimage, you also prayed to Saint Merovech of Silvers, who had endured a year by only a single crumb of bread and only a single drop of water.
You also searched the Book of Roots for any counsel regarding how to proceed in the swamps; however, the pious monk Desiderius apparently paid such lands little mind, for he spared them but a few words, which were as follows:
There was, however, a gloss next to it which you found very cryptic, and it read:
There was also a great abundance of birds, and little of other animals; this was however a blessing, for it meant to you that you did not have to worry as much about the wolf or the boar, although you had heard stories that in the swamps, there were many poisonous snakes. However those, you thankfully did not find.
Yet, despite that mercy, the swamp was nonetheless very hostile, and it could not surprise you that not many chose to live or dwell within it; you yourself had once come close to drowning, when you stepped into a pond which as covered by a layer of old growth, and only in the last moment you managed to plant the spear you had in the ground and thus brace yourself in the soil, only rendering one of your legs significantly more damp than another, and also completely stained with mud. This, however, was only a minor inconvenience, since more often than not you walked ankle-deep in water, getting used to the very unpleasant sensation.
The weather did not assist you either; heavy clouds shrouded the sky and occasionally released fine rain, which, while not torrential, only added to your misery.
It was not until well towards the evening (it must had been shortly before the hour of vespers), that you saw a sign pointing you to the presence of other men, and that a few arrows stuck in the trunks of the trees; and since the sap around them was still flowing, you reasoned that they had to be shot only recently. Thus, you investigated the area further, and noticed smoke rising to the sky, which was coloured black, and therefore likely coming from a fire. In that direction, you made your way (thankfully, the grounds there were a bit sterner, and therefore no lake nor creek blocked your way), and soon realized that some man had made himself a bonfire for the night; also the smell of meat being cooked was unmistakable, and finally, between the trees, you spotted the fire, and those around it. They were two men, wearing patched cloaks, with bows set aside nearby, and also a great sack which was filled with fowl; hunters, most likely. They worked the fire and prepared food, and the spot they had found for themselves was very favourable, and free of any water, which indicated that they knew their way around the swamp. In their business, they did not notice your approach.
Or at least so did you think at first; but you noticed that one of the men had turned in your direction, and stared directly you, although probably seeing only a portion of your frame, since you were hidden between some growth. And he seemed to you to grow very pale, and he made a gesture of devotion, as if to ward away evil.
Upon seeing that, you...
[ ] Approached without saying anything.
[ ] Announced yourself.
[ ] Hid yourself and ran away.
4.2 Wading Through Deep Waters
Such is the proverb among the Lief people: a man alone is a man that is gone; you heeded its wisdom and made the decision to seek others, and you put a prayer to the Saints so that they would deliver you from the wicked and the treacherous, but also that if it such was their design to put you through further ordeals of men's evilness, you would not protest, but rather, confident in their grace, persevere. And along the prayers to Saint Odo, who was the patron of your pilgrimage, you also prayed to Saint Merovech of Silvers, who had endured a year by only a single crumb of bread and only a single drop of water.
You also searched the Book of Roots for any counsel regarding how to proceed in the swamps; however, the pious monk Desiderius apparently paid such lands little mind, for he spared them but a few words, which were as follows:
Swamps are named for the pastoral goddess Svama because they furnish straw, that is, fodder, for beasts of burden.
There was, however, a gloss next to it which you found very cryptic, and it read:
They also belong to the third law.
With that, you departed from the overgrown field and went deeper into the swamp, on the lookout for others who might inhabit it; and at first, that bore you little fruit. The trail that led you before was now entirely overgrown and disappeared, and so you had to mark your own steps and cut your own path, which proved to be very difficult. The swamp was filled with water and creeks, that often barred you passage and made you return to whence you came and attempt to find another trek, and often you had to take very perilous routes to advance at all, that is for example over a log of a fallen tree that crossed a deep pond. Furthermore, the sharp-thorned brambles seemed to grow only thicker (you would later in the future that the people of the swamps called them the "Malefactors' Fingers", for not only like brambles, they hurt and cut, but they also bore fruit in the autumn which were very sweet in taste, but also contained a potent poison, swiftly-killing – and this is how the deeds and words of the Malefactors seem pious and noble at first, but their true purpose is to lead to the death everlasting, which is also known as damnation), and further destroyed your clothing, sparing only your cloak, which, however damaged, proved sturdy enough to withstand them.
There was also a great abundance of birds, and little of other animals; this was however a blessing, for it meant to you that you did not have to worry as much about the wolf or the boar, although you had heard stories that in the swamps, there were many poisonous snakes. However those, you thankfully did not find.
Yet, despite that mercy, the swamp was nonetheless very hostile, and it could not surprise you that not many chose to live or dwell within it; you yourself had once come close to drowning, when you stepped into a pond which as covered by a layer of old growth, and only in the last moment you managed to plant the spear you had in the ground and thus brace yourself in the soil, only rendering one of your legs significantly more damp than another, and also completely stained with mud. This, however, was only a minor inconvenience, since more often than not you walked ankle-deep in water, getting used to the very unpleasant sensation.
The weather did not assist you either; heavy clouds shrouded the sky and occasionally released fine rain, which, while not torrential, only added to your misery.
It was not until well towards the evening (it must had been shortly before the hour of vespers), that you saw a sign pointing you to the presence of other men, and that a few arrows stuck in the trunks of the trees; and since the sap around them was still flowing, you reasoned that they had to be shot only recently. Thus, you investigated the area further, and noticed smoke rising to the sky, which was coloured black, and therefore likely coming from a fire. In that direction, you made your way (thankfully, the grounds there were a bit sterner, and therefore no lake nor creek blocked your way), and soon realized that some man had made himself a bonfire for the night; also the smell of meat being cooked was unmistakable, and finally, between the trees, you spotted the fire, and those around it. They were two men, wearing patched cloaks, with bows set aside nearby, and also a great sack which was filled with fowl; hunters, most likely. They worked the fire and prepared food, and the spot they had found for themselves was very favourable, and free of any water, which indicated that they knew their way around the swamp. In their business, they did not notice your approach.
Or at least so did you think at first; but you noticed that one of the men had turned in your direction, and stared directly you, although probably seeing only a portion of your frame, since you were hidden between some growth. And he seemed to you to grow very pale, and he made a gesture of devotion, as if to ward away evil.
Upon seeing that, you...
[ ] Approached without saying anything.
[ ] Announced yourself.
[ ] Hid yourself and ran away.
Last edited:
- Location
- Denmark
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Approached without saying anything.
spooky scary pilgrim(-tons?) send shivers down your spine
preaching tongues willshock save your soul
seal your doom tonight
[xylophone intensifies]
spooky scary pilgrim(-tons?) send shivers down your spine
preaching tongues will
seal your doom tonight
[xylophone intensifies]
- Location
- Who Knows
[X] Announced yourself.
Let's not get shot as a demon
Let's not get shot as a demon